The Tenseiga
by Black-Breeze
Summary: After an encounter with the infamous Naraku, SesshoMaru finds himself at a crossroads when Rin is killed by Naraku's golem and his own Tenseiga shattered to pieces. What will he do in order to recreate his Tenseiga. . . And save Rin's life?
1. Shatters

The Tenseiga

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Inu-Yasha characters.

Chapter One: Shatters

Rin stared with curious eyes at her lord as they passed through the winding trees and scattered streams, sitting atop his demon horses with a little hop from her seat from each step they took. The small girl wondered what was wrong with her demon companion, for it seemed as if he was searching for something rather peculiar. Sessho-Maru didn't say a word to her as they traveled along; he really was a man -- or demon -- of small words. The demon lord glanced down at his servant to see him looking about his surrounding nervously, the staff with two heads shivering with the toad's clammy hands. Jaken looked up and took a nice gulp of air before speaking.

"L-Lord Sessho-Maru," Jaken announced, giving a shaky, toady smile, "may I, perhaps, ask where you are leading us? I feel a rather ominous air in these woods. . ."

Sessho-Maru raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you afraid?" he asked simply, moving onwards. Jaken shook and stumbled to catch up, dragging the ropes of the demon horses with him. The creatures barely noticed him; instead they dragged him along.

"Oh, no my lord," Jaken said, looking at Rin with feverish eyes. "I was just. . . Cautious of the girl's fears, is all. Yes, for it may be that Rin here is afraid of th--"

"I'm not afraid," Rin stated, tilting her head towards the small demon. Sessho-Maru stopped and looked back at the girl, his same glare now exacted at her. But Rin knew that he was meaning otherwise; sometimes she thinks that's the only expression her lord knows. But she knew that wasn't true.

"You aren't?" Sessho-Maru asked her, his voice just a bit softer. Jaken noticed the change wearily.

Rin gave a grin and shook her head, saying, "What's there to be afraid of, Lord Sessho-Maru?" The demon was silent, staring at the girl for a moment. Then he himself grinned.

"Nothing," Sessho-Maru replied, continuing forward. As the small group crept on, Sessho-Maru continued, "Actually. . . We are going to meet an old friend of mine, who lives in caves not too far from here. . ." The demon looked at his surroundings and found a well bodied stream, and sat down. "We shall rest for now."

"Yay!" Rin yipped, grinning again and hopping off of the demon horses, laughing and running to the crystal water. She rolled up her kimono and splashed her feet into the cold surface, shivering happily as she felt a wash of iciness move through her legs. Jaken sighed deeply and fell atop a nice area of grass, trying to forget the ominous feeling he had before.

Sessho-Maru watched Rin as she played in the water. He was partly lying about what he said before. They weren't visiting a friend of his who lives in a cave; in fact, he wanted to go back to the village of where Rin first came from to investigate the strange aura he felt nearby. He also realized that the spot he was sitting at just at that moment was the same spot where Rin tried to help him, when he was rendered useless by the 'Scar of the Wind' from Inu-Yasha's blade, the Tetsuseiga. He still felt a bitterness about it, but at that point he wondered if Rin even remembered that this was where they first met. Sessho-Maru stared at the Tenseiga at his side, feeling quite calm, like he always did. Nothing ever broke his 'blood of ice'.

Never.

His train of thoughts were broken when his ears picked up a sound of crashing objects, from the same direction to where Rin's village was. Narrowing his eyes, elegantly he lifted himself up and stared at the direction of the noise. Rin stopped and gazed at her lord. "Lord Sessho-Maru?" she asked.

He took Tokigin and kept staring straight ahead. "Rin," he said, "you stay here. Jaken, take care of Rin; make sure that she doesn't wander off." With that said, he advanced forward and disappeared, Rin staring at his empty space with concern.

"Jaken, do you think Sessho-Maru is okay?" she whispered, her face clearly showing a bit of wariness. Jaken sighed once more and nodded almost immediately.

"He's a well brought up demon, Rin," Jaken replied. "Of course he will be able to take care of himself. Don't worry about him." Rin nodded, but still felt worried. And whenever Rin was worried, Jaken knew that something was going to happen. . . And it was never good.

* * *

In a matter of minutes Sessho-Maru arrived to the ruined village. Although it was many moons after the massacre of the villagers, he could still smell the scent of blood hanging in the air. There was so much of it, that it even disgusted him. He looked around and tried to search for any being of life.

He wasn't surprised when he saw a demon covered in a baboon skin instead.

"Naraku," Sessho-Maru said immediately, still gripping his demonic blade, "so nice it is to see you. . ."

"Ah, Sessho-Maru," Naraku replied, a smile appearing under the baboon's snout, "I see you still remember me."

"Of course. I can never forget the face of the one," Sessho-Maru said, raising Tokigin in the air, "who wronged me." He slashed down the blade as the wave swept to Naraku, destroying the golem in an instant. Once again Sessho-Maru suspected the outcome; he stared at his side as another one of Naraku's golems appeared.

"Tut tut, are you still holding a grudge?" the golem smirked, holding up one hand as if in response. "I have a proposition for you."

"I pass," Sessho-Maru said, making another slash towards the golem, which instantly dispersed from the blade. But then another golem appeared, with its usual, annoying grin. The demon lord grew bored of this; what did he want?

"I want you to join me in an alliance," Naraku spoke, "against Inu-Yasha."

"The last time I joined you, I failed and you betrayed me; why should I do it again?" Sessho-Maru questioned, but he let down Tokigin slowly. Naraku grinned in spite of it. "Besides, I'd much rather do it myself."

"That may be," Naraku agreed, pointing at the blade, "but Inu-Yasha grows stronger and stronger with his Tetsuseiga, and someday he shall grow so strong, that even your Tokigin won't stand a chance. And then, you will have to admit that you need my help."

Sessho-Maru frowned. "I will kill Inu-Yasha, and when I do, it will not be because of a demon like you. . . I will triumph because I shall be the stronger demon." He raised Tokigin once more and began to slash at the golem. "So thanks, but no thanks."

"Your decision," Naraku murmured darkly, as the golem once again was destroyed. Sessho-Maru placed Tokigin back in its scabbard, but there was still something wrong; Sessho-Maru swiftly turned to the other golem and caught him by his neck, but he was already too late. Sessho-Maru stared as his Tenseiga shattered under Naraku's poisonous hands. The demon glared at the golem and cut off his arm clutching the sword with one swipe of his poisonous claws.

"What have you done?" Sessho-Maru murmured darkly, the golem's neck slowly melting under his claws.

Naraku grinned. "Heheheh. . . Your maiden is dead. . . By the hands of another golem," he cackled. Sessho-Maru widened his eyes at the words. _Rin. . . _"And now that your Tenseiga is all but shatters, what shall you do now?"

The demon lord shook with anger, trying very hard not to kill him yet, not before he gives him some answers. "You fiend. . . What have you done to Rin?" Sessho-Maru snapped at him, shaking the golem. It just smirked.

"You should have agreed. . ." it cackled once more as it dispersed from the poison. Sessho-Maru stared as the golem disappeared once more, feeling for the first time in his life, dazed.

He didn't waste any time. Quickly he gathered all the pieces of the Tenseiga and ran swiftly to where he left his companions before, wishing with all his might that what the damned demon said was just a bluff.

To Be Continued. . .

Hello. I'm back. Anyway, this is a story about Sesshy and Rin (duh). I wanted to also add in this chapter of what happened to Rin and Jaken, but it had a nice ending right there, so I ended the chapter. This is according to what I know of the manga, not the anime, so it's up to volume 21 (the newest manga out). Sorry if I get a few things wrong here and there. Please review if you have any questions or comments. Please excuse lame title.

I'm planning for this to be just a few chapters, five, at max. Hope you enjoyed the first chapter, and I hope you'll come back for more. :)


	2. The Help of a Miko

The Tenseiga

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Inu-Yasha characters.

Chapter Two: The Help of a Miko

It took longer than Sessho-Maru expected to return to where he left his companions. His mind reflected on the reasons why, considering that before, it took him a matter of minutes to travel from their resting area to the village. Why was he slowing down now, when such an important matter was at stake?

The demon lord stared at his broken scabbard, seeing that some of Naraku's poison vapors were spreading to his armor. Unwilling to have another of his possessions destroyed, he swiped the substance away with a slash of his claws. As he was traveling, he noticed something quite strange, something he hadn't noticed before. . .

Sessho-Maru stepped into the invisible shield and saw the dead Rin in front of a chanting woman.

He had obviously never seen the wench before; he would remember the miko apparel and the long raven hair tied loosely into a ponytail. He watched for a moment as the woman pressed her two fingers together as she intertwined the rest in a fist, murmuring quietly. Sessho-Maru saw the translucent shield surrounding Rin, flashing a hue of light crimson every second. His eyes narrowed softly when he saw the blood seeped into her kimono.

The demon didn't wait to question the lady; he released Tokigin from its scabbard and pointed it to the priestess, flicking it just slightly. But, much to Sessho-Maru's (small) surprise, it did not harm the woman. The wave merely dispersed into thin air, as the woman opened one brown eye to peer at the lord.

"Your sword will have no effect on me," the miko murmured, opening both of her eyes to reveal a dazzling auburn hue, "Lord Sessho-Maru."

Sessho-Maru lowered Tokigin slowly. Then, seeing that the strange woman will not cause any harm, replaced his blade back into its scabbard. "What manner of a being," he asked, his eyes narrowing, "are you?"

Jaken stumbled out of nearby bushes, heaving big breaths, his toady eyes watery. "Lord Sessho-Maru! Forgive me!" he cried out, running to the demon and wiping his face into his kimono. "I-I tried to stop him! But that blasted demon; he came so fast! And he didn't come for me either! The cursed creature headed for Rin, and I tried to stop him with my staff sir! But I was too late; Rin was dead in a second! And--And. . ." Jaken sobbed into Sessho-Maru's clothes. "But. . . Now that you are here, my lord, you can use the Tenseiga to revive Rin!" The small demon peered hopefully up to his lord. "Lord Sessho-Maru?"

Sessho-Maru looked regrettably to Rin. "Naraku's golems destroyed Tenseiga. I feared that what he said was true. . ." Jaken's eyes welled up once more, howling with tears. The lord cursed at himself for not coming sooner, staring at the woman finish chanting and standing to her feet elegantly. She stared at the demon lord before she spoke.

"So you are the brother of Inu-Yasha," the woman said simply, folding her hands into the depths of her long sleeves. "I have only heard stories about the great Sessho-Maru, son of one of the great demons of the western lands. . ." Sessho-Maru lifted one eyebrow, finally realizing who she was.

"You must be the priestess who had slain my brother 50 years ago," Sessho-Maru followed, "the purifier of the Shikon Jewel, Kikyo. I applaud your success of his death."

"I assure you that the whole ordeal was a misunderstanding," Kikyo said, her gaze shifting to the dead girl, "enveloped by Naraku. It seems that both of us have been wronged by the demon, my lord. . ."

"What is the shield around Rin? And what is the shield around us at this moment?" Sessho-Maru asked in a pressing manner. Kikyo didn't respond immediately.

"I sensed that Naraku was nearby; when I saw him over this girl's dead body, I knew that his foul mind was thinking of a treacherous plan. After his golem left, I found your servant in the bushes, unconscious. I had no spell to revive the girl, so instead I put a shield, making her soul trapped within and unable to be seen from the messengers beyond," Kikyo explained, her head tilted slightly. "Unfortunately, it shall only last for 24 hours, and seeing that your weapon of reviving life is now useless, I'm afraid that we shall need more time."

Sessho-Maru understood immediately. "And since it will take much more than 24 hours for Tenseiga to be back to its original state. . ."

"The shield will disperse, and the messengers of the world beyond will take the girl's soul. Then even you will not be able to stop her death," Kikyo finished, nodding her approval. "You are far more intelligent than most demons. . ."

The demon lord frowned. "Then what is most needed at the moment is time. Something of which I do not have. And if I know Toto-Sai, it shall take him much more than a day to recreate Tenseiga, which means. . ." Sessho-Maru felt his heart plunge into despair. "It will be too late for Rin."

Kikyo nodded, staring at the dead girl. "But there is something to _give_ you more time, my lord. What you need is," she said, staring back at Sessho-Maru, "is a shard of the Shikon jewel." Sessho-Maru wasn't surprised; he heard of the jewel's sacred powers.

"But how?" Jaken spat out. "It's hard enough to even _find_ a sliver of the jewel; but we have no idea where it might be! And considering the rumors, most of the Shikon jewel was already found!"

"I agree," Kikyo said, casting her eyes low, "which is why you must find it from a knowledgeable source. And I believe the easiest of the shards to find will be in the hands. . ."

"Of Inu-Yasha and his wench," Sessho-Maru finished, annoyed at the thought of asking his half brother for help. "Considering his wench is a reincarnation of yourself, her shards shall already. . ."

"Be purified, yes," Kikyo murmured, "which will be of much easier use than an unpurified shard. So, you need to find Inu-Yasha, retrieve one shard, and bring it back to me. I shall place it within the shield to increase its lasting capability, therefore giving you the time you need to restore Tenseiga." She then pointed at the shield around them, continuing, "This shield will protect us from anyone. No one shall look at this spot and find four beings inside, and even Naraku will not be able to sense our presence. Only the shield's inhabitants shall travel in and out of this shield. Do you have any objections, my lord?"

"To ask my filthy brother for his assistance," Sessho-Maru murmured, "will be like defeat. Is there no other way for me to find another shard from another source?" He didn't mention the fact that he did not want to his brother to know that the cause would be to help a human.

"I know of no other sources other than Naraku, which, I believe, will be of no assistance to you," Kikyo said, her tone quiet.

"That flea bitten demon will never help us, anyhow!" Jaken protested, snorting in spite of the thought. "He would kick dust in our faces rather than handing over the shard. Besides, my lord never had an interest in the jewel before; he will wonder why we will want it now!"

"If you do not want Inu-Yasha to know of your cause," Kikyo replied, "then do not speak of it. But you must give a reasonable explanation to his companion, Kagome, for it is she who holds the shards." She was quiet before continuing, "Kagome will listen to you, if you say the right words."

Sessho-Maru stared at Kikyo, searching for any sign of distrust. When upon not finding any, he asked her, "Why are you so insistent on helping me?"

"Anything involving Naraku is my business, Lord Sessho-Maru," Kikyo said, her gaze ever so serious. "If you wish to save this girl. . . Then you will suck up your pride, and retrieve the shard." Sessho-Maru gave no answer to that; he understood what was needed to be done.

She looked up and peered closely at a not-so-far-away object. "It seems Fate is on your side," Kikyo continued, staring at the road ahead of them. Sessho-Maru turned to where she directed and narrowed his eyes, seeing his half brother and his companions walking happily down the road. He realized that, in order to be successful, he could not kill Inu-Yasha or his companions. Sessho-Maru snarled at them. Oh how he hated his brother; but if he ever wanted to save Rin, he would have to confront him, and do the thing he would never thought he had to do.

Ask for his help.

'_Rin,' _Sessho-Maru thought, leaving without a word to Kikyo and entering the outside world, '_I **will** save you. . ._'

He stepped onto the dust bitten road and approached Inu-Yasha immediately.

To be continued. . .

After listening to Frou Frou for two hours, while typing a new chapter, it kinda gets to ya. Thank you to the people who read/reviewed my first chapter.

And a note to Alanna-the-tai-youkai: Thank you for your kind words on your review. It really made my day. :) As for adding an encounter with the Inu gang. . . It was kind of inevitable. XD

So, this chapter featured Kikyo. I favor Kikyo over Kagome, but I still like her too. I tried to remain as true as possible to the characters' nature; I hope I did good. And although Kikyo and Sessho-Maru never met before, I am sure that they have at least heard of each other, which was why they were able to recognize one another. And, in my opinion, I think Jaken really does care about Rin a lot; why wouldn't he cry?

My favorite pairings are the Sesshy x Rin and the Sesshy x Kikyo. It just works. Will they appear in this fic? Who knows. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.


	3. Kagome's Judgement

The Tenseiga

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Inu-Yasha characters.

Chapter Three: Kagome's Judgment

Shippo looked up in surprise as he saw a tall figure down the road. Immediately he released his mouth from his imprisoning candy. "Kagome!" he chirped, tugging on her school uniform. "Look! Someone's coming towards us!"

The school girl looked up from her math book and squinted at the figure. She didn't like getting interrupted like this, especially when there was some major studying to be done. Then again, going back to Inu-Yasha's time is a whole distraction itself. Kagome gave up and put her textbook back into her bag.

"Inu-Yasha," she said, tugging at his hair, "did you hear Shippo? Someone's coming down the road." The dog demon snorted as he himself looked up from his cup of ramen, cursing under his breath. Damn. Just when he was finishing up his lunch. He tossed his cup over his shoulder and on the road, sniffing the air.

His ears twitched when he recognized the scent. And, just like the dog he was, Inu-Yasha growled and settled one hand on his Tetsusaiga.

"Who is it? Is it Naraku?" Miroku asked, gripping his staff tighter. Sango's eyes lowered as she gripped her own boomerang in suspense.

"No," Inu-Yasha answered simply, "it's Sessho-Maru." At first, Inu-Yasha admitted to himself that he was rather surprised by his reaction towards his brother. Usually he would come raging at the spiteful demon with everything he had. But now, things are different. This time…

"Inu-Yasha, you aren't thinking…" Sango said slowly, her eyes never leaving Sessho-Maru's growing figure.

"That's right." The half demon grinned in spite of himself. "I'm going to use the Bakuryu-Ha -- the 'Crushing Stream'!" Kagome stared at her demon companion, somewhat weary of the situation. Of course, she wanted to offer her opinion on the situation at hand, but who was she to judge? Sessho-Maru was after them since the very beginning; it would be easier if he was gone. But then again, Sessho-Maru is Inu-Yasha's brother. Can he really bring himself to kill his brother? Kagome wasn't sure.

Fortunately, Miroku held a hand in his friend's way. "Wait," Miroku said slowly, staring at Sessho-Maru. "Something isn't right here." Inu-Yasha snorted; nothing is ever right. But, seeing that Miroku wasn't usually the one to falter in these types of situations, he released his grip on his mighty sword.

"I agree with the lord monk," Sango said. "I know I have not much experience with this demon as you do, Inu-Yasha, but I could tell from our last encounters that his appearances are always for a reason. He must be here for something, and I do not believe that his reason is to fight."

"Why do you say that?" Kagome asked, already knowing the answer.

Miroku answered instead. "His approach is that of a friendly one." Inu-Yasha blinked as he noticed his brother just a few feet away, waiting patiently. God, how his brother annoyed him, sneering at the demon. He also noticed Jaken, his disgusting servant, by him. Sessho-Maru made no move towards his weapons. Once again, his pestering friends were right. He hated that.

"Don't worry, Inu-Yasha," Kagome reassured, holding his shoulder lightly. "He may actually have something good he can share with us." Her friend wasn't sure about that. Inu-Yasha sighed and stood with his head high, as he and his friends walked to his brother cautiously.

* * *

They were all sitting under the comfortable shade of several trees, away from the sun's heat and overhearing passer-bys. Sessho-Maru and Jaken sat beside a nice tall one, sitting across from Inu-Yasha and his companions like a man on trial. A slight breeze swayed loose items and clothing, and, had not for Sessho-Maru's question, would have been a wonderfully beautiful day for Inu-Yasha.

Apparently, Kagome's hypothesis was wrong.

"What!" Inu-Yasha screeched, his claws twitching and his eyes bloodshot. "You're asking me to give you one of my shards? _**My** shards? _Why in the seven hells would I do that!" Kagome was rather surprised by his request as well; Sessho-Maru was never interested in the shards before.

Sessho-Maru was closing his eyes, rather annoyed by his brother's childish behavior. "Like I have said before, it will only be for a short while. I need the shard to help preserve a friend of mine." He opened his eyes when Rin crossed his mind.

"Well, why don't you get your own shard! Just go find one; it's not that hard!" Inu-Yasha snapped, Shippo choking at his lollypop just at what he said. Inu-Yasha looked sourly at the kitsune; alright, so it is hard.

"You know yourself that the shards have to be _purified_ in order for it to actually work correctly. And, seeing that I do not have a reincarnated shamaness by my side, that would be rather difficult for a demon in my situation," Sessho-Maru stated, his mind now wandering to Kikyo. Yes, although it did cross his mind that she, indeed, has the power to purify the jewel herself, he did not trust her. It was obvious in their conversation before that she did not reveal all her motives to him. Of course, his opinion was so, thinking that she was much like himself.

"Why don't you use your Tenseiga then, Sessho-Maru? If I do recall, it has the power to revive a hundred people with a single swing," Miroku asked, liking to see that particular sword in action himself. Sessho-Maru didn't respond at first; he turned and nodded at Jaken as he released his bundle to the ground between the groups.

Kagome gasped as she saw the Tenseiga in several pieces.

"As you can see," Sessho-Maru continued, seeing his filthy brother fingering a piece of his sword, "Tenseiga is of no use to me -- at the moment. I need the Shikon shard to preserve my friend's body long enough to have Tenseiga repaired. Then, when the time has come, I shall bring my friend back to life, and return your precious shard to you."

Sango took the piece Inu-Yasha held, studying the strange smoothness of the places where the piece broke off of. "This looks like the work of poison vapors," Sango concluded, her demon extermination skills in work. She looked up at the demon lord. "Did Naraku break your sword?" Kirara crowed at the shattered blade.

Sessho-Maru was silent and held no expression. "Yes," he replied. "In fact… He was the murderer at hand." His face suddenly grew sad, Kagome saw, all but for a quick second. The face went by so quickly Kagome believed that only she saw the changing expression. So before Kagome could make any note of it, Sessho-Maru grew as comforting as a gargoyle once more, and continued, "Tenseiga can destroy the messengers of hell, the stealers of souls. If I do not preserve my companion's body before the messengers arrive, it will already be too late."

"Then who cares?" Inu-Yasha pouted. "So another person dies, big deal. This is the _warring eras_, Sessho-Maru; death is frequent in these parts. Besides, you never cared for anyone or the Shikon shards before. What different now?" Inu-Yasha folded his hands into his long red sleeves and waited for his answer.

The answer was simple. Sessho-Maru didn't even hesitate when he said, "This person saved my life, in one way or another. I wish to repay that deed… And like I said before, a friend is a friend. Even demons have allies, but of course I didn't expect you to know that." Inu-Yasha restrained himself of killing him right at that moment.

Shippo stared at Sessho-Maru lightly. "Why should we trust you?" he asked. He surprised his companions, as Kagome and Sango stared curiously at the small fox demon. He paid no attention however; he sucked on his lollypop as he awaited his reply.

Sessho-Maru glanced at Shippo, saying, "You can't."

"That's it!" Inu-Yasha yelled, standing up and walking away. "Kagome, come on -- we're leaving this pile of dog waste."

The demon lord was silent as Jaken propped up to his feet, saying, "You flea bitten half breed! Don't you dare leave Lord Sessho-Maru's presence without a proper request, you one-eyed, cursed little mong--!"

Surprisingly, Miroku was the one who stopped him. "Wait Inu-Yasha," he asked, still sitting, "I don't believe that this is your decision to make."

"What!" Inu-Yasha snapped, getting more and more outraged by the minute. "What do you mean not my decision? These are my shards, my property! Of _course_ it's my decision to make!"

"Yet you are not holding the shards now," Sango agreed, looking rather peaceful in her spot. "I agree with the lord monk's statement. I believe it should be _Kagome _who decides whether or not Sessho-Maru can receive the shard." All eyes turned to the reincarnation of Kikyo as she sat, hands on knees, with a thoughtful expression. Sango smiled at Kagome. "Well? What do you think, Kagome?"

Kagome nodded and turned to Sessho-Maru, looking very determined indeed. Silently the demon lord recalled Kikyo's advice to him.

_Kagome will listen to you, if you say the right words. _

"You _are_ going to return the shard after you save your friend, right? You won't use it for any other purposes?" she inquired with a raised eyebrow, doubt slithering through every fiber of her being.

Sessho-Maru stared disgustedly at her. "Of course. Only a lowly demon -- as my brother here -- would use such a disgraceful item to power their own self esteem." Miroku and Sango held Inu-Yasha from blowing several fists at him.

Kagome frowned. "And you won't use the shard for anything else except for saving your friend in the process?"

Sessho-Maru sighed. "Yes."

"Will you show us where your friend is?" Kagome asked.

"No."

Kagome frowned again. This is hard. For all they know, Sessho-Maru could be lying to them, and it would turn out that he was only pulling strings for Naraku. But he hates Naraku now, doesn't he? Still, that doesn't get rid of the fact that Sessho-Maru tried many times before to kill Inu-Yasha; this may just be a plan to try and kill Inu-Yasha again. She knew that there was one more factor in play, however. The demon lord never enjoyed the Tenseiga, yet he always kept it by his side. And now he wants to repair it? Tenseiga _did_ choose Sessho-Maru as its wielder… Doesn't that mean that there's some good in his heart?

Doesn't it?

"Sessho-Maru," she started, staring at him cautiously, "are you telling the truth?"

Sessho-Maru stared at the human girl with a blank face. "Yes."

Kagome took in a big breath, then sighed. She couldn't believe it. She couldn't believe that she was actually doing this. But, if her gut feeling was right, then it might mean that they would be able to save one more life, and maybe even understand even further of the demons Naraku and Sessho-Maru…

She took one Shikon shard from her small glass jar, and carefully set it in Sessho-Maru's hand.

"Kagome!" Inu-Yasha cried out, as Sessho-Maru grasped the shard in his hand. "What the hell did you do!"

"I gave him the shard," Kagome said, sighing to herself. "I did what I thought was right." The demon lord stood as he ordered Jaken to watch over his Tenseiga as he disappeared into the wilderness.

"Great!" Inu-Yasha said, slapping his hand to his forehead. "Now we're one Shikon shard poorer! And now that Sessho-Maru has a part of the jewel… He can come after us at anytime, with his powers increased!" He collapsed to the ground beside Kagome, groaning into his feet.

"I don't think Sessho-Maru would have used the shard against us, anyway, Inu-Yasha," Miroku thought, raising one hand to his chin. "If he did what you thought he could do, he would have destroyed us the moment Kagome handed him the shard. Only he didn't. I believe that Kagome made the right decision… As usual." He gave a slow thumbs up to Kagome, still quite uncomfortable with the gesture.

Inu-Yasha wrinkled his nose in frustration. "Grr… Fine! But if he starts to go and destroy villages and crap, don't blame me!" He turned away and crossed his arms together, pouting and closing his eyes.

"Lord Sessho-Maru isn't the type to do that, you insolent dog," Jaken said, picking up the bundle, "and you know it." The half breed opened one eye to stare at the toady servant. He knew Jaken was right. And he hated it.

* * *

Sessho-Maru handed the shard to Kikyo as she placed it inside Rin's shield. For a normal human, they wouldn't be able to see the ferocious changes and intense magical burst within the shield. But the demon lord could _smell_ it. The Shikon shard really could increase magic ten fold.

Kikyo stood up and stared at the shield with a blank expression. "Now the girl's body shall be preserved for as long as you desire, Lord Sessho-Maru," Kikyo announced, bowing to the lord. "Have a safe journey."

Sessho-Maru frowned at the priestess. "If any harms befalls on Rin…" he started, releasing Tokijin from its scabbard. "It will be your blood stained on my blade." He raised it to Kikyo's neck, but, with no surprise, she was not threatened.

"Hmm, strange fellow, you are," she said, smirking, "to grow suspicious _after_ a woman has given help…"

"This is a warning to you," Sessho-Maru murmured, flipping Tokijin back into its scabbard, "don't forget it." Once again the demon lord turned and left the shield with no other words to the priestess, his only thought to return Tenseiga to its original state, to arrive back before any harm could befall Rin…

And save her life.

To Be Continued…

Kagome is such a sweetie. :) I never understood pairings with Kagome that had anyone other and Inu-Yasha and Koga. It never made sense to me. I don't know why. And why is it that Miroku and Sango always seems to be on the same brain wave? Strange… O.o

Thanks for the reviews and alerts. Made me really happy. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to give a review. This chapter was kind of fast, in my opinion.


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